MONDAY, June 22, 2026|
Photo – An example of the Date Street Booster Station Project – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The Office of State Lands and Investments approved a mineral royalty grant from the City of Rawlins to strengthen its water infrastructure.
On Thursday, June 18th, the State Loan and Investment Board held a special meeting to consider 19 mineral royalty grant applications. The Mineral Royalty Grant Program is funded through state mineral royalty revenues, which are used to help local governments pay for critical public‑service needs, including emergency vehicle purchases and utility infrastructure projects.
During the June 18th meeting, Office of State Lands and Investments Director Stacia Berry announced that her agency received $9.7 million in mineral royalty grant requests, but had only $6.1 million to award, meaning several projects would receive partial or no funding in this grant cycle. Berry said the City of Rawlins was seeking a $750,000 grant for the Date Street booster station project, and OSLI recommended approving the full request.
City Manager Matt Hall explained that the project was prompted by an incident that occurred in late April and early May, where multiple breaks were discovered on the high‑pressure line serving the Hospital and Painted Hills storage tanks. Hall said the break left nearly 2,000 properties relying on the water stored in the tanks while city crews worked to fix the break.
Residents in the city’s higher‑elevation areas rely on the high‑pressure line for their water supply. By the time service was restored, the Hospital and Painted Hills tanks were down to 35 percent of capacity.
At the time, Rawlins Public Works Director Cody Dill reported that 1.55 million gallons of treated water were lost during the weeklong incident, with repair costs totaling between $35,000 and $40,000.
After the repairs were completed, the city hired Sunrise Engineering out of Laramie to develop a way to maintain water service during a high-pressure line break. Engineer CJ Walker recommended installing a pressure‑booster pump station at the intersection of Date and 9th Streets, where the city’s high‑pressure line meets the low‑pressure system.
At the June 18th State Loan and Investment Board meeting, City Manager Matt Hall said the booster station will allow water to be rerouted from the low‑pressure system into the high‑pressure line when needed.
Hall added that any future breaks on the high‑pressure line may require the system to be taken out of service for at least a month. He said the booster pump station will keep water service running during repairs, strengthen the city’s water infrastructure, and support the local economy.
The State Loan and Investment Board unanimously voted to approve the city’s $750,000 mineral royalty grant for the Date Street booster station.
Documents provided by the city indicate that the majority of the equipment will be located underground to give the pumps access to the high- and low-pressure lines in the area. The facility is expected to occupy roughly two parking spaces on 9th Street and be “virtually silent.”
The city is still required to contribute $750,000 of its own funds toward the $1.5 million project.
